Kirst on "fliers" crackdown

Frank Cammuso / The Post-StandardFrank Cammuso's cartoon from this morning's Post-Standard is only loosely connected to the subject at hand -- whether and how to limit panhandling downtown and at major entry points into the city -- but it was too good not to post.

I'm about to copy Sean Kirst's column from this morning's Post-Standard, which spins off the news from yesterday that the city plans to crack down on the "fliers" -- a group of panhandlers who ply their trade on exit ramps, medians and other highly visible points in and around Downtown Syracuse.

But first I want to try to put the debate in the context of the CNYSpeaks conversation on improving downtown Syracuse.

In the CNYSpeaks survey, panhandling ranked only behind "parking" and "crime" as reasons why people avoid downtown. And when you talk to people who say they avoid downtown because of crime, what you often find is that they are really talking about panhandlers, who, for a variety of reasons, make some people feel threatened, even when the panhandler isn't acting in a threatening way.

Yet CNYSpeaks participants are by no means in agreement that more restrictive panhandling laws or a crack down on panhandling is needed. Many people have made it clear to me that they see panhandlers as worthy of their charity, and many more have pointed out that the panhandlers are rarely associated with real crime. Most people familiar with the city ignore the panhandlers, and simply see them as part of the tapestry of urban life.

To me it comes down to this: A vibrant downtown needs to be welcoming to all.

That includes visitors, who may be wary of panhandlers. But it also includes street musicians, performance artists, protesters, skateboarders, teenagers, and people of all socio-economic backgrounds. A heavy-handed crackdown on panhandling that sends a message that downtown isn't welcoming would be counterproductive.

So how do we find this balance? How do we reduce the negative impact of panhandling without being draconian? Is the city's approach of enforcing existing laws -- complete with advanced warning of the new strategy, the correct one? Will it help? Are new laws needed?

By Thursday afternoon, the woman with the handmade sign knew the deal. The Syracuse police had already stopped at the corner of Franklin Street and Herald Place, where the woman held a sign made from torn cardboard:

DISABLED. ANYTHING HELPS. HAVE A NICE DAY.

On the bottom, she drew a smiley face.

"I'm glad you came over," said the woman, who identified herself as Marcia Stephens, 47. She is a self-described "flyer," one of the men and women who for many years have stood near entrance ramps for arterials or interstates in Syracuse. They hold up signs, hoping for change or a few dollars.

The police want Marcia and her friends to give it up. Marcia thinks that crackdown is a mistake. She has cancer, she said, and she has gone through chemotherapy. For years, she was a street walker and a crack addict, she said, and some terrible things happened to her during that time.

She broke away from prostitution, but her life is hardly easy. She gave up crack because she watched it destroy too many friends. But she still drinks. Not long ago, she was stabbed.

"I can't work," Marcia said, weariness in her voice.

Wednesday, police announced they want the folks with the signs off the corners. Chief Gary Miguel said his office receives too many complaints. The main concern, he said, is that someone could get hurt.

The fliers stake out such crossroads as the Teall Avenue ramps near Interstate 690, or the Adams Street ramps near Interstate 81. Some fliers will run into a middle lane to accept a dollar or change from a driver. At busy times, it creates the chance for tragedy, Miguel said.

Marcia doesn't buy it. The hard-core fliers know better than to wade into traffic, she said. They simply stand on the corners with their signs. On a good day they'll make $30 or $40, and at night they gather to split their earnings.

"They're my brothers," said Marcia, of these men she's known for years.

The problem, she said, is a wave of angry newcomers. A couple of nights ago, one arrived at the Herald Place corner and attacked a regular, Marcia said. The newcomer seized the man's sign and claimed the corner for his own. The fight caused police to hurry to the scene.

Marcia thinks that incident prompted the crackdown. The newcomers are also careless in traffic, she said, which often upsets motorists. That ignores the cardinal rule of the flier: Do nothing to create an excuse to kick you out.

"They're making it hard for us," Marcia said.

Miguel said no one incident caused police to act. It was a combination of the number of complaints and a simmering fear of someone getting hurt. Before getting started, his staff asked for advice from human service agencies. For the next two weeks, officers will speak with the men and women on the corners, offering a list of shelters where they might find help.

At the end of that period, Miguel said, police will start issuing tickets.

Marcia intends to stay put with her sign. The real trouble, she contends, does not involve her friends.

"It's the new ones coming," said Marcia, who figures she can wait them out.